Distressing Coating Fatality.

Manawatu Herald, 5 March 1904, Page 3

Distressing Coating Fatality.

The cables recently reported a particularly distressing boating disaster near Brisbane. Australian papers just to hand give additional particulars of the sad affair. It appears that a party of live —a Mr and Mrs Victor Drury, their eight-year-old daughter, Delia, Mrs Bring Roberts, and Harry Carothers, 15, left Wynnum at 9.30 in the 14footer Shamrock, with the intention of sailing to Cleveland. A light breeze was blowing at the time, but when in sight of Cleveland jetty, about 11 o’clock, a fierce squall struck the craft, which capsized. Mrs Roberts became entangled in the sail and cordage, but with remarkable presence of mind dived, and on coming to the surface swam back to the boat. Mrs Drury and the boy Carothers also gained the boat. At the time of the accident Mr Drury was steering, with the little girl sitting down at his feet. Mr Drury held on to the child and regained the boat. The party then distributed themselves so as to trim the boat, which for 18 hours drifted about the bay. Before sundown the lad Carothers crawled from his position to Mr Drury, who tried to reassure him as to the hope of rescue, and with the little girl in his arms jumped into the water and replaced the boy in his former position. The lad showed signs of exhaustion. Twice he slipped into the water, but Mrs Bring Roberts swam after him, and put him on the boat again. Then he twice went into convulsions, and again he took a fit and slipped astern. Mr Drury, still holding his little daughter, swam towards him, but the boy sank at sundown. The boat subsequently drifted into Green Island, and was almost safe when the current suddenly carried them out again. When the moon rose the little girl, who was still clinging to her father and scarcely ever speaking, said, “ I’m safe with you, daddy, you can swim,” and almost immediately expired in his arms. All through the night the father clung to the dead body of his child, afraid to tell the ladies that she was not alive. The ladies were in a terrible state from shock and exposure. The body of the boy was subsequently found floating in the harbour.